I’m not anything approaching a connoisseur of magical girl fiction, but having immensely enjoyed both of M.L. Wang’s adult novels, I was a little bit curious about her series of snappy YA titles beginning with Girl Squad Volta. And when I heard a pretty compelling argument that magical girl stories are a type of superhero… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Girl Squad Volta by Maya Lin Wang
I loved M V Melcer’s 2021 short story “The Falling,” so it didn’t take too many positive reviews to convince me to shell out the four dollars for her new space opera: Refractions. Refractions is a story of sabotage in space, with a pilot fleeing her past thrust into an unfamiliar leadership role with no… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: Refractions by M V Melcer
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Brides of High Hill will be released on May 7, 2024. While I still haven’t circled back to When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, I’ve read and enjoyed everything else in The… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons will be released on May 14, 2024. I read The Last Unicorn years ago and didn’t necessarily have the adoring response that seems typical in the fantasy world—it probably… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle
My judging team in the third annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3) has turned in our two semifinalists, and in return, we’ve received two semifinalists each from a pair of other teams. Our task over the months of February and March is to read these four new semifinalists, and together with the other two teams,… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Any Minor World by Craig Schaefer
Another month, another set of short stories to read. I’m spending more time dipping into assorted publications here and there—which I’ll review in another post—but I’m staying consistent with a couple of my favorites. So let’s dive into the March 2024 issues of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus. Clarkesworld If there’s any magazine I recommend regularly reading… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (March 2024)
My judging team in the third annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3) has turned in our two semifinalists, and in return, we’ve received two semifinalists each from a pair of other teams. Our task over the months of February and March is to read these four new semifinalists, and together with the other two teams,… Continue reading Sci-fi Book Review: Replacement by Jordan Rivet
My judging team in the third annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3) has turned in our two semifinalists, and in return, we’ve received two semifinalists each from a pair of other teams. Our task over the months of February and March is to read these four new semifinalists, and together with the other two teams,… Continue reading Sci-fi/Fantasy Novel Review: Sunset by Arshad Ahsanuddin
My judging team in the third annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3) has turned in our two semifinalists, and in return, we’ve received two semifinalists each from a pair of other teams. Our task over the months of February and March is to read these four new semifinalists, and together with the other two teams,… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: Kenai by Dave Dobson
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Siege of the Burning Grass will be released on March 12, 2024. I’ve been hearing a whole lot about Premee Mohamed for a few years now, and while I’ve tried a handful of… Continue reading Sci-fi Fantasy Novel Review: The Siege of the Burning Grass by Premee Mohamed
